Fuel-reserve tank



.I 1.1. SULLIVAN.

FUEL RESERVE TANK.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. I, e919.

'llll/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOHN J'. SULLIVAN', 0F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

FUEL-RESERVE TANK.

vented a certain new and useful Improve-4 ment in Fuel-Reserve Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fuel-reserve tanks for holding a supply of liquid-fuel, as gasolene, to be used when the other contents of the main fuel tank are exhausted, and may be used'in. connection with any engine or boiler employing liquid fuel but is particularly beneficial in motorboats and automobile vehicles to avoid the inconvenience and danger of the complete exhaustion of the liquid fuel at a distance from shore or from a supply station.

The reserve-tank is arranged within the main tank and may be placed therein through the neck or opening by which the main tank is supplied being held in place by engagement with the inner surface of said neck, so that said reserve-tank may be installed in main tanks already in use without alteration of the latter.

rlhe arrangement of the two tanks is such that the reserve tank` is first filled and the main tank is filled only from the overflow from the reserve-tank through opening near the top of the latter and means are provided fer closing said openings after filling to prevent the contents of the reserve tanks from spilling out into the main tank.

in the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a central verticalI section of the reservetank in place in a main tank, apart of which is shown in sectionin the same plane; Fig. 2 a side elevation. of the gate which controls the overflow openings of the reserve tank. The other figures show modifications;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the cap and a gate removable therewith and without overflow openings;` Fig.4 4, a side elevation of a re,- serve-tank; Fig.' 5, a vertical longitudinal section of a main tank and a side elevation of a reserve tank; the reserve-tanks in the last-two figures being of a shape to increase their capacity.v

The main tank 1 is' of the usual size and shape and is provided with the usual neck or filling-connection 2, through which said main tank is lled; an externally threaded screw-cap 3 closes said connection, the latter being internally threaded at 4.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29,1920.

Application filed ctober 1, 1919. Serial No. 327,662.

The auxiliary or reserve-tank 5 is preferably circular in cross section, is closed vat the bottom 6, except for the discharge opening 7 and is externally screw-threaded at 8, at its upper end portions to engage the screw 4 of the neck by which it is held rigidly in place. v

Below the threaded portion 8, the reserve tank is provided with openings 9 through which the main tank is filled by the oyerflow from the reservetank which from its position must' first be filled.

The reserve-tank extends almost to the bottom of the main tank leaving only space for the liquid contents of the former to How into the latter through the opening 7 in the bottom 6 of said reserve-tank.

None of the above specified parts are of my invention.

I provide means for closing the overflow openings 9, the same being represented in Figs. 1 and 2 as a tubular gate 11 whichfits within the upper end of the reserve-tank and is provided with an external flange 12 which rests upon the'top of the reserve tank and prevents said "gate from descending too far into said tank. Thegate is provided with openings 13 equal in number land the same distance apart as the overflow open ings 9, so that before filling the tanks, the gate may be turned by the fingers until the openings in the gte register with said overflow openings. y turning the gate in the other direction said gate will close said overflow openings and prevent the fuel in the reserve tank from spilling out into the main tank when going over rough ground. The open and closed positions of the gate are determined by the ends of the horizontal slot 14 in the gate striking the stop-pin 15.

which projects ltherethrough and is secured in the reserve-tank. It is important that the reserve-tank should bel full at all times so that the contents of the reserve-tank will be sufficient-to take the motor boat to shore or the automobile to a supply station.

rlihe reserve-tank when the main tank supply, is exhausted may be emptied by removing the cap 3, and unscrewing the tubular plug 15 which reaches above'the liquid contents of the full reserve-tank and the lower end of which is externally screw threaded at 16 to en a e the correspondingly internally threa e bushing'- 17 of the discharge opening 7 The tubular-plug 15 also serves to hold va depth-rod or test-rod 18 which is loose in said plug and reaches down through said plug and rests on the bottom 6 of the main tank, the upper end of said rod extending above the plug far enough to be grasped by the fingers, and said top may be provided with a suitable enlargement or handle 18a. The lower end of the rod 18 may be provided with a tip 19 of soft non-abrasive material, as wood or other suitable material, to lessen wear on the bottom of the main tank but the body of said rod should be of non-absorbent material' in order that the wet lower part of said rod may indicate the depth of liquid in the main tank, as said liquid will rise in the hollow plug 15 to the level of the liquid in said main tank.

. The cap 3 is commonly provided with a small opening 20 to admit air to fill the space left by the exhaustion of the fuel to avoid retarding the feeding of the fuel to the carbureter and the gate 11 may be loose enough to allow sufficient air for this purpose to pass from the reserve-tank to the main tank and yet to prevent any serious leaking of the contents 'of the reserve-tank through the overiow openings but for greater security I prefer to make a separate air-opening 21 into the top of the tank.

In Fig. 4, I have shown means of increasing the capacity of the reserve-tank 5A by curving the body thereof as shown at 2 2, without greatly reducing the part of said tank between the lower end and the curve 22.

In Fig. 5, where the main tank 1A is represented as' of considerably greater length than depth, the lower arm 23 of the reservetank 5B is of sufliciently less diameter than that of the filling opening through which it is introduced into said main tank.

In Figs. 4 and- 5 the bushings which receive the lower ends ofthe plug 15 are Wholly on the inside of the reserve-tank as shown at V17A and 17B in order that thesey bushings maynot interfere with the insertion of the reserve-tank in the main tank.`

In other respects, the reserve-tanks shown in Figs 4 and 5 and their connected parts may bethe same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 having the same letters of reference, but in Fig. 5 the reserve-tank 5B is provided with a flange 24 which rests upon an internal flange 25 of the filling connection 26 and is held by an externally-threaded clamping ring 27.

In Fig. 3 the gate 11A is represented as without the opening 13 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but is an inverted circular box secured to the cap 3 and removable and replaceable therewith to open or close the overiiow' openings. The connection between the gate 11A and the cap 3 may be rigid or said gate may be centrally pivoted to the cap, as shown at 11B.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a main tank of a reserve-tank arrangedv therein and having overflow openings near the top of said main tank,4 of a manually-operated gate adapted to close said overflow openings to prevent spilling of the contents of said reserve-tank into said main tank.

2. The combination with a main tank of a reserve-'tank arranged therein and having a discharge-opening into said main tank, a

plug adapted'to fill and close said dischargeopening and extending above the level of liquid in said reserve-tank, said plug being hollow from end toend and a depth-rod or test-rod adapted to extend loosely through said plug into the main `tank below said reserve-tank, to ascertain the depth of liquid in said main tank. l.

3. The combination with a main tank of a reserve-tank arranged therein and having a discharge-opening into said main tank, a

lplug adapted to ill and close said dischargeopenln and extending above the level of liqluid 1n said reserve-tank, said plug being ho low from end tof end, and a depth-rod or test-rod of non-absorbent material adapted to extend loosely through said plug into the main tank belowV said reserve-tank, to ascftain the depth of liquid in said main tan 4. The combination with a main tank of a reserve-tank arranged therein and having a discharge-opening into said main tank, a plug adapted to fill and close said dischargeopening and extending above the level of liquid in said reserve-tank, said plug being hollow from end to end, and a depth-rod or test-rod of non-absorbent material provided with a tip of non-abrasive materialat its lower end and adapted to extend, loosely through said plug into the main tank'below said reserve-tank, to ascertain the depth 0f li uid in said main tank.

n witness whereof I have signed this specification this twenty-ninth day of September, 1919.

JOI-IN J. SULLIVAN. 

